Ducks Vs Golden Knights Opens Monday Night in Vegas
The ducks vs golden knights series opens Monday night in Las Vegas, and the matchup starts with a clear edge in postseason experience. Vegas is the -210 favorite, but Anaheim arrives after winning a six-game first-round series against Edmonton.
Stone on the Ducks' 2018 gap
Mark Stone said the Ducks' lack of recent playoff appearances can be misleading. Anaheim is back in the postseason for the first time since 2018, while Vegas has advanced beyond the first round for the sixth time in its eight playoff appearances and has missed the postseason only once in nine years as a franchise.
“So you still have to be on your toes,” Stone said Sunday. “You just have to play good. You’re playing against the same opponent for seven games potentially. Experience helps, but it’s not everything.”
McNabb Sees Pace Increase
Brayden McNabb offered the other side of the same argument, saying, “I think (the experience) only helps the farther you go.” He added, “The pressure ramps up as you keep going. A lot of guys in here have had long playoff series and understand what it’s like. Intensity and speed kind of ramp up as the series goes on.”
That pace point fits Anaheim’s profile. The Ducks are being described as a faster team interested in more of a track meet, and they also bring a roster with some postseason mileage even after years away from this stage.
Annaheim's First-Round Numbers
Nine Ducks players had appeared in the playoffs before this season, and eight have played in conference finals and beyond. Alex Killorn won two Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay, and John Carlson was on the Washington team that beat the Golden Knights for the 2018 championship.
Against Edmonton, the Ducks had several direct contributors. Jackson LaCombe posted nine points in the series, Leo Carlsson scored eight points and led the team with 28 shots, Cutter Gauthier scored four goals and finished with seven points, and Ryan Poehling scored four goals. Gauthier also scored three power-play goals.
LaCombe said after the series, “We didn’t accomplish any goal yet,” and added, “We’re kind of playing as underdogs through the whole playoffs here, so we’re just going to keep doing our thing.” Troy Terry was even more direct after Anaheim’s first-round win: “It’s May, and you guys (media) are still talking to me,” and, “It’s new for me, and it’s new for a lot of us. It’s just exciting to come to the rink.”
Monday night gives Anaheim a chance to test that speed against the league’s more playoff-tested team in the opening game of a best-of-seven series. For the Ducks, the first task is turning the Edmonton momentum into something that can travel in Vegas.
